The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Codiaeum plant, botanically known as Codiaeum variegatum, and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98GRU CO9901xe2x80x99.
The new Codiaeum originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1992, in Rockanje, The Netherlands, of the Codiaeum variegatum cultivar Petra, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Codiaeum variegatum cultivar Iceton, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Codiaeum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Rockanje, The Netherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its unique leaf coloration.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar at Rockanje, The Netherlands, by terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Codiaeum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.
The new Codiaeum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98GRU CO9901xe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98GRU CO9901xe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and compact growth habit.
2. Uniquely-colored green, yellow and dark pink variegated leaves that do not fade during the winter.
3. Thick and strong leaves.
4. Excellent post-production longevity.
Plants of the new Codiaeum can be compared to plants of the parent cultivars. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Rockanje, The Netherlands, plants of the new Codiaeum differed from plants of the parent cultivars Petra and Iceton in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Codiaeum have thicker and stronger leaves than plants of the cultivars Petra and Iceton.
2. Plants of the new Codiaeum and the cultivars Petra and Iceton differ in leaf coloration.
3. Leaves of plants of the cultivars Petra and Iceton fade during the winter whereas leaves of plants of the new Codiaeum do not fade during the winter.